Review of Groundhog Day (1993) by Charlie C — 10 Mar 2014

It took me a long time before I got around to seeing Groundhog day, but I always looked forward to it for being a comedy led by Bill Murray.

Groundhog Day features a story that has been told many times before, sourcing as far back as the 1892 story "Christmas Every Day", and so to succeed the film has to take a fresh angle on the concept of being forced to relive the same day over and over. And luckily, thanks to Harold Ramis' clever writing combined with his most skilful direction, Groundhog Day comes out as a seriously successful and entertaining comedy film, moreso than his directional debut Caddyshack which I found myself not to be impressed with.

Groundhog Day takes the simple nature of its story and manages to fill it with a lot of meaningful drama for its protagonist as well as a lot of comedic opportunities which are harnessed as best as they could be, and it helps to overshadow the fact that the story never explains how the day is stuck in an infinite loop. And while the film does encounter some tonal shifts which make the humour go between slapstick gags, dark humour and romantic comedy without ever having a consistency, Groundhog Day still proves to be thoroughly successful.

Harold Ramis holds a tight grip over Groundhog Day as a means of ensuring that it succeeds, and with his experienced wisdom in comedic filmmaking her puts out an excellent effort in Groundhog Day where he takes the story on an intelligent journey without ever exiting its simplicity or even the same day for a time period of over 10,000 years. Yes, it has been confirmed by Harold Ramis that Groundhog Day lasted over 10,000 years in the eyes of Phil Connors, and the idea of that makes the comedic impact of the film all the more hilarious.

I found myself laughing consistently at the gags in Groundhog Day and learning something from them as they began to be more philosophical in their exploration of life. Groundhog Day is a very intelligent film which asks what the meaning of life is when you are faced with an unwanted immortality and life which is stuck in a loop and reminds us one of the most important meanings of life. Viewers that walk away from Groundhog Day having enjoyed 101 minutes of well constructed comedic material may also find themselves walking away with a greater look at their own life and sense of one's direction. Groundhog Day has some crude humour, but it never deviates from the positive meaning and good intentions of the filmso it is likely to leave audiences with a smile on their face and a sense of happiness to see it come together so well in the end.

From a dramatic standpoint, Groundhog Day is a very intelligent success. It proves to be a more insightful and intelligent film than you'd expect or than it even needed to be, because Harold Ramis' dedication to making Groundhog Day an original effort never fails. In Groundhog Day, the dramatic elements surrounding protagonist Phil Connors never come up short and make a compelling effect which the viewer is really able to feel for, so Groundhog Day even uses its zany plot to connect to its viewers on an emotional level.

A lot of the success in Groundhog Day is thanks to the talents of the late Harold Ramis who wrote the film with Danny Rubin and then directed it to a becoming a memorable and entertaining experience, and it succeeds from a visual standpoint as well since the scenery is lush and shot with fine cinematography. The musical score is also good.

But the most memorable aspect of the film is the dedication of Bill Murray in the lead performance.

Bill Murray's lead performance in Groundhog Day is the most unforgettable element of the film. The Academy Award nominated comedian and actor has a real legacy to him for his success over several decades, and Groundhog Day is one of his most notable efforts. In Groundhog Day he keeps himself in tune with the comedic atmosphere as it charters through the aforementioned territory of slapstick gags, dark humour and romantic comedy. There is not a single moment where he slips up, because his dedication to the character Phil Connors makes the story a lot more compelling since he is a very likable protagonist and his chemistry with the other actors and ability to engage with all the comedic elements of the film is just refreshing. Bill Murray is both successful as a comedic actor and a dramatic one in Groundhog Day, and his chemistry with Andie McDowell makes the romantic element of the film a stronger one instead of just a simple subplot played off as another unexplored idea. Bill Murray is the single greatest comedic virtue that Groundhog Day can boast, and his collaboration with Harold Ramis brings out some of the best talents that they both have to offer. It is a shame that this film ended up causing a more than decade-long conflict between them in the aftermath.

Andie McDowell also gives a good performance. Her charm in Groundhog Day is reminiscent of the kind of charm that Julia Louis-Dreyfus put into her performance as Elaine Benes in Seinfeld, but in a more restrained and friendly effort. Her chemistry with Bill Murray has a genuine feel to it which is enlightening and friendly. She has a smile which just lights up the screen, and so she is a real genial presence in Groundhog Day.

Chris Elliot manages to bring his own comedic touch to his supporting performance in Groundhog Day, and Stephen Tobolowsky has his moments.

Harold Ramis' small cameo was also a nice touch.

So it's easy to see why Groundhog Day is considered to be a comedy classic, because the film is both hilarious and touching thanks to Harold Ramis' tenacious handling of the story and Bill Murray's unflinching lead performance.